Lightning-fast broadband will be delivered to tens of thousands of Nottinghamshire and West Lincolnshire homes.
- £58 million contract was signed under the government’s national Project Gigabit rollout.
- UK-based smart technology and digital provider Connexin will deliver top-of-the-range full fibre connections to around 34,000 rural premises in the counties which, without government intervention, would have missed out on the industry’s rollout of faster, more reliable ‘gigabit-capable’ broadband.
- Full fibre is capable of delivering speeds of up to 1,000 megabits (or one gigabit) per second - up to 30 times faster than superfast connections which rely on traditional copper cables. Gigabit speeds mean households can download a high-definition film in under one minute, stream and download entertainment and shop online across several different devices at once.
- The upgrades will help grow the economy and create jobs by making it easier to set up a business, and mean rural Nottinghamshire and West Lincolnshire communities will have access to networks designed to meet people’s needs for decades to come as the demand for fast connections continues to rise.
- Rural communities all over the counties will benefit, including those surrounding Kirkby in Ashfield, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Annesley, Wragby and Market Rasen.
- Now the contract is signed, Connexin has started the planning and design works to enable the first premises to be connected to the network by early 2025.
- The contract is one of several announced today as part of a £453 million commitment to delivering next-generation broadband to around 236,000 hard-to-reach homes and businesses across England.
- More than £1 billion in contracts have now been awarded through Project Gigabit to connect around 677,000 homes and businesses, with tens of millions of pounds worth of additional contracts to be awarded across the country in the coming weeks.
- The UK is building gigabit networks faster than any country in the EU, thanks in part to government measures to stimulate competition and bust barriers to rollout. Last month the government announced that gigabit coverage had reached 80 per cent of the UK, up from just 6 per cent in 2019, and the UK is on track to achieve 85 per cent by 2025.
- As part of the investment, Connexin has also committed support to community initiatives such as volunteering charitable hours and will provide career mentoring and apprenticeship programmes to a diverse range of candidates in these local communities.
- The rollout of Project Gigabit is overseen by Building Digital UK (BDUK) - an executive agency of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).
Data and Digital Infrastructure Minister Julia Lopez said:
“Thousands of people across Nottinghamshire and West Lincolnshire are set to benefit from connectivity fit for the future, thanks to government’s Project Gigabit. We’re making strides in connecting communities in hard-to-reach areas across the country, and this latest investment will bring us one step closer to our digital transformation, opening up vast opportunities in rural areas.”
Furqan Alamgir, CEO at Connexin said:
“Through the award of this contract, we are delighted to be able to play our part in the UK government’s mission to level up and bring gigabit connectivity to our rural communities.
“At Connexin our mission is not just about connecting people but also about how such connectivity can improve lives. We believe that everyone has the right to the same opportunities, and we firmly believe in digital inclusion and what it can unlock.
“We look forward to working with BDUK to future proof the infrastructure and bring hyperfast broadband to the region.”
Cllr Keith Girling, Nottinghamshire County Council’s cabinet member for economic development, said:
“We’re delighted that this investment will provide access to faster and more reliable broadband services for many of our rural communities, helping them with their day-to-day lives, particularly those who work from home or need online access to essential services.
“Being better connected boosts our economy and helps to make Nottinghamshire an even more attractive place to live, work and invest.
Cllr Richard Davies, Executive member for IT at Lincolnshire County Council said:
“We welcome the news of this funding and supplier selection. It is vitally needed in terms of connecting rural areas and it will mean a level playing field in the provision of connectivity for both rural and urban areas.
“For Lincolnshire, this additional money will make a very real difference to those who live in more remote areas of the county.”